“Le Penseur” (The Thinker) by Auguste Rodin at the Rodin Museum, Paris.
Image © Robert Long

Don’t Overthink It!

Art. It’s part of our earth and in every heart. It’s as old as time, and yet it lights up the future. It speaks to you without words.

Art began talking to me during college, not as much in my art history class as on a study abroad visit to the Rodin Musuem in Paris. Perhaps it was my age and the subject matter of “The Kiss” that caused the emotional connection, but art has been a source of inspiration ever since.

“Le Baiser” (The Kiss) by Auguste Rodin.
Passion burns in a slab of stone.
Image © Robert Long

Like all those feelings you can’t explain, I wondered why. Even studied quite a bit about form and composition, line and color, representation and abstraction. While all that knowledge helps with art appreciation, I came to understand that the value in viewing art is feeling it.

Now I don’t go to museums to analyze the works but rather to be in the midst of inspiring art. It makes me marvel, and that’s a thrill.

The Brain Reaction

Evidently, there’s a biological explanation. In a 2011 study, the British neurobiologist Semir Zeki showed artwork to people as he mapped, through fMRI, the parts of the brain that responded. Those parts associated with pleasure and reward lit up.

Scientists at the University of Toronto pooled data from 15 similar studies between 2004 and 2012. They also found that viewing paintings activated brain regions related to inner thoughts and emotions.

Though this brain research is recent, people have known the joy of making and viewing art for thousands of years. The oldest art in the Louvre Museum is this lime plaster statue dating to about 7200 BCE and excavated from ‘Ain Ghazal near Amman in northwest Jordan.

This guy delighted eyes 9000 years ago and now today
in the Louvre Museum, Paris.
© Sheron Long

Look into his eyes and you can’t help but smile. This statue is one of about 25 figures believed to be the earliest large-scale representations of the human figure.

Perhaps the ‘Ain Ghazal figures started a trend, though not all the splendid statues that followed in history have eyes or even heads. The Winged Victory lost her head somewhere along the way, but the folds of her flowing garment pressed by the wind against her body show the work of a sophisticated sculptor in ancient Greece. And, oh, those magnificent wings—admire them and you can almost feel the front part of your brain light up!

The “Winged Victory of Samothrace” depicting the Greek messenger goddess Victory dominates a hall
in the Louvre Museum, Paris.
© Robert Long

French Lessons

In France patrimoine, or French heritage, includes the sculptures shown here—in fact, all art in the national museums. As such, the art is protected and owned by the country’s citizens, who are charged with passing a love of art onto the next generation.

That’s why you often share the galleries in French museums with inquisitive school children, like this group of sketchers at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence.

Eyeing “Spoon Woman” by Alberto Giacometti gives a young girl an early start on appreciating art.
© Sheron Long

Another group recreated Alberto Giacometti’s skinny dog with pipe cleaners, literally feeling the art.

Culture and heritage come along with this art lesson.
© Sheron Long

Two pipe cleaner dogs and one Giacometti bronze—
all capture the imperfect forms for which the sculptor is famous.
© Sheron Long

The French lessons are an “Oh, I see” moment: Connecting with heritage, connecting with art is a human right. The French make sure their children get the chance.

The Outdoor Museum

It’s true that most art is inside museums, so people often have to make a deliberate choice to see it. Some are put off by guides who make them feel ignorant or the stuffiness of some institutions. Communities that place art in public spaces and street artists who create so much more than graffiti are making a difference in access, however.

Art you can climb on!
Sculpture by Ugo Rondinone
© Robert Long

When Swiss-born sculptor Ugo Rondinone set up 12 giant heads in the Tuileries Garden for his “Sunrise East” exhibit, he added amusing interpretations of the human figure to history’s collection. He also gave museum access to the public with an open invitation to play with his inspiring art.

No one needed a guide. Most rediscovered a bit of wonder from these cast bronzes covered with silver auto paint. An emotional connection with art? For sure, and no need to overthink it.

Art inspires a number of emotional reactions.
© Erick Paraiso

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